Williamson wicket rocks Black Caps
In Kane Williamson’s backyard it takes something special to dislodge him.
New Zealand’s skipper, a few hundred metres from his Mt Maunganui home, set up camp on Bay Oval yesterday as home fans in ‘Steady the Ship’ captain’s hats nodded and clapped approvingly.
Williamson passed 50 for the 51st time in his glittering test career, after 140 minutes at the crease, and was settling in for an overnighter as the Black Caps eyed England’s par first innings of 353 before a crowd of 4652.
Then, within sight of stumps on day two of the first cricket test, it
Zealand out of the game.
Alternatively, anything under 350 looked a good reward for the Black Caps’ toil after a luckless day one, so it was evenly poised when Tom Latham and Jeet Raval strode to the crease.
It started badly as Latham, arriving with a test average of 44 and coming off 154 in his previous test against Sri Lanka, was trapped in front for eight.
Curran’s delivery looked good and Latham didn’t review the decision, but replays showed a Hot Spot mark suggesting he’d inside edged it. The only explanation was that Latham’s bat clipped his pad at the same time and he was uncertain.
Latham and Raval average 40.94 as a pair since January, 2018, the best of any country’s openers.
Southee who after a slow start raced into gear to end with 4-88 off 32 overs.
He was even on a hat-trick after trapping Curran in front first ball, but Archer survived as Bay Oval buzzed into life.
It should have been five for Southee but Raval shelled Jos Buttler on 34, a running chance from the deep as the wicketkeeper and Jack Leach added 52 for the ninth wicket.
Frustration built again but Neil Wagner kept charging and was finally rewarded.
He removed Buttler in bizarre fashion to a Mitchell Santner catch at deep point. Santner was signing autographs as Wagner ran in, he leapt the hoardings and crossed the rope just before delivery and calmly pouched the chance.